The Internship
by Nohj Q Lepsol
Summary: This story is about a teenage girl who travels to Africa on an internship in Magizoology. Very loosely based on the world of Harry. If you want to read about Harry, Ron, and Hermione, go somewhere else.
1. Chapter I: Mail

Chapter I: Mail 

The post owls soared into the Dining Hall as the students of the Salem Witches' Institute looked up eagerly to see if they had received any mail. Qwinn Halloway looked up to see four owls flying directly at her. They swooped down and dropped three magazines and a newspaper on the table in front of her before flying off again. "Oh, wow," she said, looking at _The Salem Daily_, _The Quibbler_, _Which Broomstick_, and _Magizoology Monthly_. She looked at the cover of _Magizoology Monthly_ and read the headline "Nundu on the Move," which was accompanied by a picture of a large leopard. She set the magazine aside and looked at the cover of _The Salem Daily_ and saw a large moving picture of the British Minister for Magic Kingsley what's-his-name making some sort of speech. She then turned her attention to the cover of _The Quibbler_. Qwinn looked at the headline that said "Crumple-Horned Snorkack Sighting!" Below this was a very odd looking creature indeed. It looked like a horse, but it was stranger than any creature Qwinn had ever seen. This creature was furless, save for a long, brown, horse-like tail protruding from its hindquarters. The Snorkack's skin was a yellowish-orange colour, and protruding from its shoulders were two small, useless, ripped, leathery, red wings. Between this creature's rabbit-like ears was a long, twisting horn that looked like that of an Erumpet and was located in a location similar to a Unicorn's horn. It had dark purple eyes. Despite its abnormal appearance, it was a beautiful, gentle-looking creature. Also on the cover, there was a frog in the corner, but it was not green as frogs normally are, but Albino-looking with black eyes. This was under a smaller title or "Moon Frogs for Sale: Contact L. Scamander." Just as Qwinn was putting _The Quibbler _aside to look at _Which Broomstick_, a fifth owl flew over her head and dropped a letter directly on her plate of scrambled eggs. "Oh, Merlin's _pants_!" exclaimed Qwinn, using her wand to clean the eggs off of the parchment envelope. The letter was addressed to Qwinn and had the school crest (a diamond with a red letter "S" in front of a black cat whose eyes literally glowed - they emitted light) on it. She broke the red wax seal and began to read:

Qwinn K. Halloway:  
you have been chosen for a  
SUMMER INTERNSHIP  
with the Department for the  
Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Qwinn's hands were shaking. She couldn't believe that _**she**_ had been chosen for this internship. Each year, there was a summer internship in Healing, teaching, Magical Law Enforcement, and Magizoology. Only one student from the four Wizarding Schools in America was chosen. Usually, it was only seventh years that were chosen, although fifth and sixth years were also eligible. Qwinn was only a sixth year, but she was still chosen. Rightfully so, she thought, seeing as she had received top marks in her Care of Magical Creatures classes ever since she had started taking them in her third year. She knew Newt Scamander's _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ back to front. She was the youngest person in Massachusetts to have a Kneazle license, and had a pet Puffskein. She read every article in every edition of _Magizoology Monthly_ that she ever bought. She thought she deserved this, but she was so surprised that she got it. She unfolded the second piece of paper and read:

The internship will take place in the small African country of Burkina Faso, near the city of Banfora, in a large forest studying the native wildlife, specifically the Runespoor. There are many dangers associated with this trip, including:  
☼ One of the Runespoor's heads is extremely venomous, although it very rearely attacks humans.  
☼ There is evidence to suggest that the Nundu _**may**_ be migrating west. The Nundu is an extremely dangerous creature and has a rating of XXXXX by the Ministry of Magic.  
☼ There are rumours - unverified rumours - that Dementors **_may_** reside in caves of the forests of Burkina Faso. However, every person on the research team that can perform magic and is allowed a wand is able to conjure a corporeal Patronus.  
Despite the dangers of this trip, it is an excellent learning experience and will look very good to future employers. Qwinn was chosen for this internship because of her high marks in Care of Magical Creatures class and her earning of an O on her Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration O.W.L.s. As she is still 16 years of age, she will require parental consent to go on this trip. Qwinn's parents will have to fill out the following form to give her permission to go on this trip.  
Thank you,  
_Chagrin Q. Foster  
_Chagrin Foster, Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

Parental consent ... that could be a problem. Her parents were usually pretty good about that sort of thing, but Nundu, Runespoors, Dementors ... and Lethifolds should be there, too. But Qwinn could also produce a Patronus. But did it mean that certain members of the research team weren't magical or even _human_? All the better, thought Qwinn. She liked things like Centaurs and things and would be interested in knowing some. She did see one problem: The paper gave no date of the trip; what an annoyance. She would have to write a letter. She hated writing letters. Her handwriting was so terrible. And she made so many mistakes. If she would have to give one thing to the Muggles, it would be those compy-thingies they use. Maybe she'd try and bewitch her quill to take dictation. Her Charms teacher had told her class how to do it. Charms wasn't her best class, but she thought that she could do it. She was just about to go up to her dormatory to write the letter when her best friend, Zuri, ran up to her and said, "Shouldn't you be at the Quodpot Field?"

"Damn," said Qwinn, stuffing her magazines and letter into her bag and running out of the large wooden doors at the end of the Hall.


	2. Chapter II: Quodpot

Qwinn hurried into the changing tent and changed into her Quodpot robes as quickly as she possibly could. When she had finished, she and the rest of her teammates walked out onto the field. She was on Team B, with ten others. Both teams, A and B, gathered in a half-circle around the referee, who took her wand out and put her left palm flat out in front of her. She put her wand on her outstretched hand and said, "_Choose_." The wand spun around in her hand a few times before slowing to a stop pointing directly at Qwinn.

She and the referee mounted their brooms and rose into the air. The other members of her team and Team A followed to form a circle around them. Then the referee tossed the soccer ball-sized Quod at Qwinn and quickly flew out of the circle. Team A converged around her, but she flew straight down and then up again, loosing them completely. Two of her teammates flew on either side of her and a third flew behind her. An A came up along side and elbowed the girl to Qwinn's left. The girl elbowed her assailant back, knocking her off her broom. Qwinn flew as fast as her Cleansweep would allow, leaving a sizable gap between her and the girl behind her. Another member of Team A took advantage of this gap and grabbed the back of Qwinn's broom.

"Foul!" yelled the referee. "Blagging!"

Qwinn flew forward while the other twenty-one players flew to the ground. She threw the Quod toward the pot at the end of the Quodpot field. She missed. There was a groan from her fellow teammates as they took the air once more.

A member of Team A foolishly dropped the Quod. Qwinn swooped down, grabbed the Quod, and flew toward the pot. She flew high above the other players and then dropped out of the air and let go of the Quod; it landed in the pot and the potion inside sloshed around inside. "One point to B!" yelled the referee.

But the next time, Qwinn wouldn't be so lucky. She was rocketing toward the end of the field when the same A flew up in front of her and blocked her path. She was going to fly above her, but the Quod under her left arm began to shake. She threw the Quod up in the air just before it exploded, showering her with red and gold sparks. Then she flew to the team B section of the stands to watch the rest of the match.

After the match was over (Team A won, but Qwinn was so excited about the internship, she hardly cared), Qwinn hurried to the changing tent and hurriedly changed into her robes. She grabbed her bag and practically ran up to the school, through the front doors, and up to her dormitory. She threw her bag down on her bed and sat at the desk. She opened her drawer and took out her lime green Fwooper quill, her dark purple ink, and yellow parchment. She dictated the following letter to her quill:

Dear Ms. Foster,  
I cannot express how very excited and honored I am to have been chosen fot this summer internship. Thank you so much!  
But there seems to be a problem with the letter: You neglected to tell me of the dates of the internship. I apologize for bothering you with something this trivial, but I really need to know when this trip will be taking place.  
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.  
Sincerely,  
_ Qwinn Halloway_

She summoned her small owl, Bailey, and attached the letter to her leg. Bailey flew out of the window, and Qwinn sat on her bed and opened her bag. She took out the magazines and the newspaper and put them in her desk drawer, taking out old issues and putting them in her trunk. After that, she remembered that she was going to write her parents a letter, but Bailey had already flown off, so she would have to do it later. She sat down at her desk and took out a less fancy quill and black ink. She had an essay for Care of Magical Creatures about the proper removal of Bundimuns, and another for Arithmancy. She had to get these done before dinner, after which her Gobstones Club (of which she was president) was meeting, and those meetings sometimes took a very long time, so she just wanted to be done with her homework first.


	3. Chapter III: Return Owl

Chapter III: Return Owl

The next day, Bailey delivered a letter written in pink that irritated Qwinn slightly:

Dear Miss Halloway,

I apologize for my foolish mistake. Thank you for alerting me of this error, because there is a possibility that the other letters I sent out may have also been faulty.

The parental consent form will be due on June 15, when the research team will be coming to your place of residence to meet you and your family. You will be leaving on June 23 and returning on August 25, one week before school starts.

Once again, I apologize for my oversight and would like to thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Thank you,

_Chagrin Q. Foster_

_P.S. That ink you use in the letter you sent me was very colorful!_

Qwinn took the letter and tucked it away in her trunk. Then she took out her copy of _The Quibbler_ out and read an article about a Heliopath report in Wales. Then Zuri walked in and said, "Why do you read that?" she asked, pointing at the magazine.

"Not all of the stuff in here is all that far-fetched. Granted, the Heliopaths are garbage, and the Moon Frogs are questionable, but the Snorkack could be real. I mean, just because Scamander didn't write it in _Fantastic Beasts_, it doesn't mean it's not real. And it's really no more strange than some of the things that are in Fantastic Beasts. Take the Manticore, for example. Or the Chimaera." 

Zuri didn't seem to have a response so she busied herself with her Transfiguration homework. "Oh, damn..." said Zuri, as the quill she was trying to Transfigure turned a dark greenish colour. 

"Well, no wonder it's turned green. You're doing it all wrong!" She walked over to Zuri, took out her wand, and pointed it at the quill. She moved her wand in a sort spiral motion, and the quill stood on its tip and instantly sprouted two spindly legs. It began to scamper about on the desk top. 

"Well, _thank you_, Qwinn. Thank you for showing me how much better you are at Transfiguration!"

"I didn't mean it like that! I was just trying to–" 

"Help? Yeah, I know. I'm _sick_ of you always being better than me at everything. I'm _sick_ of you always rubbing it in! And I'm _sick_ of hearing about that damn internship!"

"First of all, you're better than me at plenty of things. You're brilliant at Herbology and Arithmancy, and I'm mediocre. And there's a reason I'm not taking Divination this term. And we're more or less the same at Charms. Second, I didn't know I was 'rubbing it in'. I'll try and stop. And I do go on about the internship too much, I'm just really excited. Sorry." 

"Uh-huhh," said Zuri from behind her Transfiguration book. Qwinn picked up her bag and walked out of the dormitory and down the stairs to the library, where she would hide out for a few hours.


	4. Chapter IV: Books & Packing

Chapter IV: Books & Packing

Qwinn walked into the library and went to the magical creatures section. She found a stack of books about African Beasts. Some of them are: _Magical Beasts of Africa_; _Basilisks, Runespoors, and Other Serpentine Beasts_; and _African Birds_. She took them to the table, where she dropped them, in a puff of dust. She opened to the table of contents of _Magical Beasts of Africa_ and read:

Foreword by Rolf Scamander... Page ii  
Introduction ... Page vii  
Ashwinder ... Page 1  
Bundimun ... Page 6  
Chizpurfle ... Page 11  
Clabbert ... Page 17  
Erumpent ... Page 24  
Fairies ... Page 30  
Flobberworm ... Page 36  
Fwooper ... Page 40  
Hippogriff ... Page 44  
Kneazle ... Page 49  
Lethifold ... Page 53  
Merpeople ... Page 57  
Nundu ... Page 62  
Mooncalf ... Page 68  
Phoenix ... Page 73  
Plimpy ... Page 77  
Puffskein ... Page 81  
Ramora ... Page 86  
Runespoor ... Page 93  
Salamander ... Page 99  
Sea Serpent ... Page 105  
Shrake ... Page 111  
Golden Snidget ... Page 118  
Sphinx ... Page 123  
Streeler ... Page 129  
Tebo ... Page 132  
Werewolf ... Page 137  
Winged Horses (Testrals, etc.) ... Page 145  
Afterword by Wilhelmina Grubbly-Plank ... Page 150

She turned to page 93 ("Runespoor") and began to read. She read until the librarian came over to her a squawked about a curfew.

She walked as slowly as possible to her dormitory and hoped against hope that Zuri was sleeping. She wasn't, but she was pretending she was. So Qwinn hurried and changed her clothes and got onto the bottom bunk and went to sleep.

The next morning, Monday, when Qwinn woke up, Zuri was already gone. When she got down to the Dining Hall, Zuri was seated with a group of students Qwinn had never talked to. She took her seat, not very hungry, and waited to see if she got any mail. The owls flew in, but Bailey was no where to be seen. So Qwinn took her books and went to Arithmancy class early. She took a seat near the front of the room and took out The Ancient Study of Numbers and her essay. Then she took out _Runespoors, Basilisks, and Other Serpentine Beasts_ and opened to chapter seven ("The Runespoor: Are Three Heads Really Better than One?") and began to read. After about thirty minutes, the teacher, Professor Watson, walked in. She was somewhat short, with short black hair, and was always dressed in black. She walked in and said, slightly surprised, "Hello, Miss Halloway."

"Hello, professor," said Qwinn back.

"You're here early. Didn't you eat breakfast?"

"No. I didn't have much of an appetite."

"Does this have to do with the argument you had recently?"

"Yeah ... How did you know?"

"I added up your previous seven exam scores and got 514. And five plus one plus four is ten. And one plus zero is one and one means conflict is coming."

"Wow ... Maybe I should pay attention in here more." She expected for Watson to dislike that comment, but instead she laughed.

Soon, the rest of the class began to come in. Zuri came in uncharacteristically late and took a seat near the back of the room.

After Arithmancy, they had Ancient Runes. After Runes, they went to Care of Magical Creatures, after which they had lunch. Qwinn was extremely hungry after eating no breakfast; she ate a lot and was nearly late for Charms. As she walked in, she remembered that they were doing a long-term project with partners, and Qwinn's partner was Zuri. She took her seat next to Zuri, who busied herself by rummaging in her bag, when she had a quill, ink, parchment, and her Charms book out on the table. The Charms teacher walked in. He told them to get with their partners and try to make one another levitate for an extended period of time. So Zuri and Qwinn stood up, and Qwinn pointed her wand at Zuri and, non verbally, made her hover several inches off of the ground, but only for a few seconds.

After Charms, Qwinn had a free period and Zuri had Divination. Qwinn hurried up to her dormitory and took out some parchment, ink, and a quill for an essay for Transfiguration ("Bewitching Quills").

Days passed. April turned to May, which turned to June. It was the day before they were to leave school, and Qwinn was packing. She opened her drawer and took out ripped parchment and broken quills and empty inkwells. Then she took her Fwooper quill, yellow parchment, and purple ink in her cauldron along with some potion ingredients and socks. Then she put her letters and old magazines and books in her trunk, covering them with some of her clothes. Then she went to the owlery and put Bailey in her cage, so she wouldn't fly off that night. She took Bailey to her dormitory, closed her trunk, and set Bailey's cage on top. Then she crawled into her bad and went to sleep.


	5. Chapter V: Going Home

The next morning, Qwinn woke up early. She got dressed, and went down to breakfast. She sat where she did the last night for dinner and pulled the platter of pancakes toward her. As she was pouring syrup over them, she felt someone sit in the seat next to her. She looked up and saw Zuri looking at her. She looked nervous; her brown eyes were shifty and she was biting her upper lip. Qwinn knew what she was going to say, so she said, "I know you're sorry and I accept your apology. And I'm sorry as well."  
"I know you're just excited about your trip," Zuri began, "and you're just better than me in school. I know you don't mean to show it all the time. But it just happens, because you're so much better than me."  
"I may be better than you at Care of Magical Creatures and Transfiguration," said Qwinn. "But that's it. I suck at Arithmancy and Divination and Herbology. We're about the same at Ancient Runes and Potions and Charms."

"And there's Quodpot and Gobstones," added Zuri.  
"And I'll be using _that_ daily as an adult."  
Zuri laughed. They ate and talked and then went up to their dormitory to get their things to take home with them. Qwinn double- and triple-checked her drawers and uder her bed. She gave Bailey an owl treat, then put the small box in her trunk and closed and locked it. She took out her and pointed it at the lid of the trunk, using it to write her name on it in golden print. She pointed her wand at her trunk and said "_locomotor trunk!_" and Bailey and said, "_locomotor cage!_" Both objects began to hover in the air, and followed Qwinn down the stairs. She made them hover all the way to the train, where she and Bailey chose a compartment and put their things in. They took their seats and got ready for the somewhat long journey to western Massachusetts where they both lived.

Qwinn was reading a copy of the _Salem Daily_ and Zuri was reading a book entitled _The Devine Art of Divining_. Qwinn seriously believed that there may have been some Seer blood in Zuri. She could flawlessly read tealeaves and palms and crystal balls. It was all really cool until she started making Prophecies, at which point it would get really freaky. There wasn't really anything of great interest in her newspaper. There was some article about a Death Eater capture in Canada and an exploding toilet in Kent, but nothing more. She threw it aside and took out the latest edition of _Magizoology Monthly_ and read an article called "Mooncalf Mystifies Muggles" for awhile, after which she took out a bag of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum and proceeded to annoy Zuri with floating blue bubbles.  
The train pulled into the station at about noon. Zuri and Qwinn said their good-byes and went their separate ways.  
Bailey walked through the crowed train station and out into the parking lot. She walked over to her old purple Muggle car, on which her brother had placed anti-theft and anti-vandalism Charms. She opened the trunk and (thanks to another Charm from her brother) stuffed her trunk in. She then put Bailey's cage on the passenger side seat and put herself in the driver's.  
She took out her wand and tapped the steering wheel; the car instantly started. She pulled out of the parking lot and on to the highway for the hour ride home.  
Qwinn turned the radio on, and listened to the Muggle news for a minute.

"...More than sixty people were found dead in a small village in the African country of Burundi. There is no apparent cause of death, and doctors that have flown in from several countries across the world are baffled."

Then Qwinn switched over to a wizarding news channel.

"We are getting reports of a Nundu attack in Burundi. Exactly 67 people in a small Muggle village were found dead. Burundi is out of the normal habitat for the Nundu, and this is considered to be proof that the Nundu are migrating. We will update you on this situation when we get more information." Qwinn turned off the radio.


	6. Chapter VI: Meeting

Qwinn opened the faded green door and stepped into the sitting room of her small house. She looked at the familiar old, battered blue sofa, at the old radio, the tan carpet, the moving photographs of family members on the walls. She drug her trunk and Bailey's cage into the tiny room. She closed the door, and, when she did so, her mother called from upstairs.  
"Qwinny? Is that you?"  
"Yeah," Qwinn called back.  
"Okay, I'll be right down!"

Qwinn went over to the open window and let Bailey fly out. She soared over the small creek and across the meadow and into the forest, perhaps preparing to search for a mouse or frog to eat or maybe to find a tree in which to perch herself and to take a nap.  
Qwinn's mother came down the stairs. She was a short woman and rather plump. She had medium-length auburn hair that was flecked with gray. As soon as she saw Qwinn, she pulled her into a tight hug.

Qwinn then took her trunk and dragged it up the stairs, her mother following behind with Bailey's now-empty cage. Qwinn wasn't going to completely unpack her trunk, seeing as she would be leaving soon anyway. So she took out the dirty clothes and some of the books. She wasn't going to bother with her cauldron; she didn't ever use it at home and she would be taking it to Burkina Faso, just for the hell of it. She extracted the quills and ink and such and put them in her desk drawer. Her Puffskein was sleeping soundly in his cage.

"Where is my Quigley?" she said out loud to herself.  
She went downstairs and opened the back door. "Quigley!" she called. "Quigley!"  
Soon, a fat, gray, cat-like creature came up to her. His gray fur was flecked with white spots. He looked up at Qwinn and wove between her legs. She bent down and picked up her pet Kneazle, his face rubbing up against hers. She then set her pet down and went back in the house to find something to eat.

On June 23, Qwinn awoke early. She checked her bags for the sixth time in the last twenty-four hours to see if she had everything she needed. Everything was there. She looked at the clock: 5:47. She couldn't go back to bed. She felt so juvenile, so childish, like a Muggle child on Christmas Eve.

She quietly walked down the stairs to the kitchen and got herself some eggs and toast. After she was done with her breakfast, she decided to read some more about African magical creatures.

And then she waited.

Finally, _finally_, at ten o'clock, there was a knock at the door. Qwinn ran to answer, nearly tripping over Quigley in the process.

When she opened the door, Qwinn saw the strangest assortment of people - and some that were not human - Qwinn had ever seen.

There was a large woman - Qwinn thought she must have been a half-giant - who had dark skin and light brown hair. There was another woman, this one a quite bit shorter than the first, whose skin was just extremely pale, but she had very dark black hair and a few large scars across her face. There was a very average-looking man with red hair next to the half-giant. Behind the witch with dark hair was a very intimidating-looking black wizard with dark green robes on. There was a centaur with long black hair and dark eyes. Hovering behind the centaur was an Asian - maybe Japanese - female ghost who died in very strange and mismatched clothes. Down near these people's feet were a Goblin and a House-Elf. The House-Elf looked up at the half-giant with adoring eyes, but the Goblin's eyes were downcast, and he looked somewhat depressed. And next to the black wizard was a tall boy who looked to be about 18, whose black hair (which had random streaks of yellow in it) reached to his shoulders. He was wearing black robes with a black-and-yellow striped tie. There was a pin on his robes with a badger on it. There was another pin that was dark green with a large M on it. Qwinn realized that all of them were wearing this pin in one form or another: The black wizard had it on his hat, while the centaur wore it around his neck on a silver chain. The ghost looked as if she was wearing it when she died, it being as transparent as the rest of her.

"You must be Qwinn," said the half-giant, with a somewhat raspy voice that had a slight Canadian accent.

"Uhhh ... yeah," said Qwinn, still a bit stunned by the interesting assortment that had just appeared on her doorstep.

"May we come in?" she asked; Qwinn nodded.

They all came through the door, the boy with the yellow hair the last to do so. He caught Qwinn's eye and she realized that this boy's eyes were yellow - not a sickly, feverish yellow, but the _irises_ were yellow. It was somewhat cool, yet kind of strange. He sat on the sofa next to the half-giant and the black wizard. The House-Elf and the Goblin shared the large comfy seat in the corner of the room. The others that could sit conjured their own chairs, all except the plain-looking man, who had his conjured by the dark-haired witch. After they were all seated, the half-giant spoke again:

"My name is Silva Magna," she said. "This" - she pointed to the witch with dark hair - "is Loup DeNuit."

"One joke about my name and I'll perform the fastest Bat-Bogey Hex you've ever seen," said the witch, but she said it with a laugh.

"This," said Silva, pointing to the black wizard, "is Adisa Abidemi." The wizard to which Silva gestured nodded at Qwinn. "Here," Silva said, looking at the ghost, "is Sakiko Enumoto." Definitely Japanese. "Here" - Silva waved a hand at the centaur - "is Dryalos. Here" - the plain-looking man - "is Liam Arson. This here is" - the House-Elf - "Wildberry. The Goblin sitting next to her is called Operis. I think that's all of-"

The black-and-yellow haired wizard cleared his throat. Qwinn looked at him, and she could have sworn his eyes were a slightly darker shade of yellow. It was only the lighting, she told herself. "I'm Iain Rós," he said, with a thick Irish accent.

It was odd, Qwinn noticed, that the House-Elf - Wildberry - would be wearing clothing, and not the usual rags. She had on short black pants, a dark red shirt, the green pin, a small brown hat, and a silver necklace with a strange purple gem hanging on it. She had to have been there willingly. So she must be paid, or something like that.

Silva went on to tell Qwinn that they would be staying in a forested area of Burkina Faso. This forest was an enchanted one - trees like the ones that grew there shouldn't be able to in the dry climate. But they did. She said that they would be sleeping in tents, but they were wizarding tents, so it would be extremely comfortable. She also mentioned that it would be extremely dangerous, what with Runespoors and Nundu and Lethifolds and the like. She also confirmed the rumors that Dementors were residing in the area, in caves. But Qwinn wasn't frightened; quite the opposite. The idea of such danger _excited_ her: She'd been sheltered for so long, she longed to get away from the protection she knew wouldn't last forever.

When Silva was done talking, she told Qwinn to get her things, say good-bye, and then meet them in the front yard. Qwinn hurried up the stairs, collected her bag. She tapped on her Puffskein's cage, bid farewell to Quigley, tossed Bailey a farewell Owl Treat, and then hugged and kissed her parents. She burst out the front door and hurried toward the group that had congregated around a somewhat small trunk.

"Since Dryalos, Liam, Wildberry, and Operis aren't allowed wands," began Silva, "they can't Apparate. So that method of transportation is out. And it's a bit difficult for me to fit into a fireplace. So we can't go by Floo Powder. A Portkey, however, will work perfectly." Qwinn wondered briefly why Liam wasn't allowed a wand.

Iain opened the trunk and picked up Qwinn's bag. She was confused as to what he was doing; there was no way all of their things could fit into that trunk. But when Qwinn looked inside, she was surprised. It was huge inside - and Undectable Enlargement Charm. There were cauldrons and pots and pans. Bags and trunks and ingredient canisters. Qwinn saw two folded tents, a telescope, and a crystal ball. Iain dropped her bag in, and closed and locked the trunk. He drew his wand.

"_Portus_," he said, and the trunk momentarily glowed blue.

"Everybody grab hold," commanded Silva and everyone did. "Three ... two ... _one!_"

And Qwinn's front yard fell away. She was being shoved up against Iain, which was something she didn't mind very much, but she couldn't breathe and she had a very peculiar sensation in her stomach. Very soon, though, she landed on solid ground and looked around.


End file.
